Sexual Affronts and Racial Frontiers French Indochina and the Lover Essays

Sexual Affronts and Racial Frontiers French Indochina and the Lover Essays Sexual Affronts and Racial Frontiers French Indochina and the Lover Essay Sexual Affronts and Racial Frontiers French Indochina and the Lover Essay Essay Topic: Empire Falls In Love and Trouble Stories of Black Women Saint Joan Sexual Affronts and Racial Frontiers, European Identities and the Cultural Politics of Exclusion in Colonial Southeast Asia. Ann Laura Stoler Race and the Education of Desire, Fauoult’s History of Sexuality and the Colonial Order of Things. Ann Laura Stoler Introduction We will be presenting two essays by Ann Laura Stoler. The first essay, â€Å"Race and the Education of Desire†, Foucault’s history of sexuality discusses class, race and desire in terms of family and state regulations which are identified as the moral [bourgeois] code in the colonial context of Indochina. The second essay, Sexual Affronts and Racial Frontiers, European Identities and the Cultural Politics of Exclusion in Colonial Southeast Asia is focused on the construction of colonial categories in relation to people belonging to various geographical and cultural roots. Background of French Colonial Expansion: During the nineteenth century, France embarked on a series of conquests, annexations, and campaigns of pacification. From 1900 to 1914 the pacification of various colonies continued, agreements were signed with local authorities, and administrative organizations were put in place that imposed French models for schools, hospitals, and the army. Colonists began developing infrastructures which facilitated the exportation of raw material to metropolitan France. French Indochina It was a colony of commerce which was under the French rule in the 1860s and in the 1870s the Europeans began to settle here, in 1900 approximately 91 thousand settlers were classified European in the Indies. The metis population is also included in this estimate. Race and the Education of Desire, Foucault’s history of sexuality Stoler represents bourgeois classism in its linkage to racism. The Bourgeois code is discussed as a desire to defend its members from the pollution of the primitive others. The former are considered as threat and enemy of the White culture. Bourgeois fear of assimilation [re]establishes boundaries and influences the entire society [the other social groups]. This moral bourgeois code, represented in the film, is politically defended and implemented in everyday life, it presents prescriptions for both, bourgeois [the lower-class Whites] and natives. In other words the external boundaries of the group are required to be defended by all its members. Hence, racism is established as exposed to the individual and the group explicit regulations. The moral code basically defines appropriate gender and sexual behavior of both men and women. Male and female sexual boundaries are different in that man’s sexuality is less regulated than that of women. Male sexual behavior requires less attention in the colonial context. Man’s outside- camp [home] sexual relations remain unregulated as far as they do not include interracial marriage. The concombinage with native women turn into wide-spread practice. However, the opposite also became a practice as well [ white women with native men] [p. 183] Masculinity defines its hierarchy: at the bottom the native men. The former’s sexuality became under question. The native men were deprived by their masculinity within the colony; they were effeminized. They were seen as less capable men [in the context of Indochina], both sexually and socially. They were gazed as primitive unable to [reason]†¦. â€Å"it takes two of you to do the job† Crossing the race and class boundaries becomes a morality issue. The invisible ties separate different classes and races. However, that question becomes more complex in the colonial context. The sexual relations among economically lower status bourgeois and middle class native complicate the race and class categories. Besides, those interracial relations did not challenge the racism [the invisible ties played out their role], neither the created stereotype regarding the native men. Nevertheless, the boundaries were policed from the both sides of the borderline. Natives were also defending the racial purity of their community. They used those stereotypes for their own purposes. Their weakness became their strength, a strategy to protect the purity of their culture. â€Å"No two of me four of me. You don’t know how weak I am† In the geographical setting of French Indochina†¦ I will mention how sexuality plays a crucial role on creating and confusing colonial categories. The French film â€Å"The Lover† provides us with a creative insight to see, as Stoler describes, those who â€Å"ambiguously straddled, crossed, and threatened† the imperial divides. I will look closely at the story of â€Å"metissage† and mention the generation that emerged from it : â€Å"metis† in colonial context at the turn of the century. This will bring us to an overall view of how gender and race intertwined, how racial frontiers are created with respect to sexualities. And how much they mattered†¦ For general Western spectatorship, Vietnam does not exist outside of the war. And she no longer exists since the war has ended, except as a name, an exemplary model of revolution, or a nostalgic cult object for those who, while admiring unconditionally the revolution, do not seem to take any genuine, sustained interest in the troubled reality of Vietnam in her social and cultural autonomy. The more Vietnam is mystified, the more invisible she becomes. (Trinh T. Minh-ha, When the Moon Waxes Red, 100) Sexual Affronts European Identities and the Cultural Politics of Exclusion in Colonial Southeast Asia â€Å"The neat boundaries of the colonial rule† were maintained by referring to the distinctions between: * Cultural sensibilities * Physical attributes * Political sentiments How did this story reflect the  "tensions of Empire†? It’s plot was a combination of: * Racial category * Sexual Morality * National identity Locating Sexuality in Empire The cultural contingency of sexuality†¦ †¦appears in colonial contexts 1) Sexuality Race A sexual subculture emerges in the colonial context: Constructions of racial difference, in turn promotes or restricts particular reproductive relationships. Demography, Eugenics and Moral Degeneration are intertwined within the Imperial codes of race and sexuality. Racial hierarchies regulate sexual desire, by encouraging or discouraging it. 2) Invention of private/domestic realm ? public/civil realm Separation of social life into distinct gendered realms implies, first and foremost, that sexuality is associated with the private realm by masking the sexual politics of the colonial institutions. The heterosexual underpinnings of colonial imperial hierarchies and domestic / public spheres are always conscious in the colonial setting. Joane Nagel – Ethno-sexual Frontiers An ethno-sexual double standard: Powers of domination prevent â€Å"our† women from having sex with â€Å"their† men; but our â€Å"men† can have sex with their women without sancion. It is important to note that the Empire itself is sexualised as the penetration and domination of feminized primitive lands and peoples by virile and masculine bodies. â€Å"Concubinage† as one of the new sexual subjectivities Emotional and economic shelter for those on the margins of the normative heterosexuality. Sexuality emerges in the colonial context as a â€Å"weapon of the weak† (Scott 1985). â€Å"Metissage† – a cultural category â€Å"Metissage† is both referred to as â€Å"cultural creolization† and â€Å"cultural cross-breeding†. Metissage is an extension of the word â€Å"metis†, encompassing social, cultural, historical, racial and aesthetic concerns that can not be fully translated into English. â€Å"Metissage under debate† In Stoler’s essay, we are confronted with the fact that such a bonding was an object of political, legal and social debate. It was conceived as†¦ * A threat to White prestige * An embodiment of European degeneration * An indicator of moral decay Metis Metis is translated as â€Å"half-breed† â€Å"half-caste† or mixed blood and carries with it a negative connotation. Discussion of children of mixed parentage the odd one out in an exotic asylum- Emmanuelle Saada, â€Å"Children of The Colonies: The Metis of the French Empire: Citizens or Subjects? † Associate Professor and Director of the Center for French and Francophone Studies Colonial Representations of sexuality in the moving pictures †¦ The 1980s and 1990s The colonial syndrome Colonialism became a topic that was dealt with in many domains, from studies of colonial cultures to research in history and anthropology. Cinema played an important role in this exploration of the colonial past. Those films are the imaginings and refigurings of colonial culture and life and of colonial wars: for Africa, Claire Deniss Chocolat (1988); for Indochina, Jean Jacques Annauds LAmant (1992), Regis Wargniers Indochine (1992). Even though these films do not mean to be truthful renderings of the past, they are presenting images of the former colonies, of life in the contact zone from a Eurocentric point of view. They capture what overseas stood for in the minds of French spectatorstropical, exotic places: the teeming life of the oriental neighborhood of Cholon in LAmant, the haunting beauty of the Bay of Ha Long in Indochine, the wide landscapes of Africa in Chocolat. Pictures of the landscapes of L’amant and Indochine here! They show the French colony as a territory, and as a multiethnic society where French individuals from different classes and regions lived side by side with native populations under rules, established hierarchies and asymmetries designed to privilege the French and to exploit the land and the natives. These films provide concrete examples of what colonization meant the importation of French traditions through the French administration, which organized and ruled different countries of the Empire. The Lover (L’amant) Director : Jean-Jacques Annauds Adaptation of Marguerite Duras 1984 novel. Narrative of The Lover Set in French Indochina in the 1930s, the narrative explores a young French schoolgirls erotic affair in a colonial background. The protagonist is a 15 year-old girl, the daughter of French school teachers who left France to resettle in Indochina in order to better their social status. She is sent to a Saigon boarding school, and on her trip meets Tony Leung; a 32-year old wealthy Indochinese man of Chinese origins. They look at each and they both see a blinding white flash; its kismet. (fate) They meet in his bachelor room where they revel in a wide variety of creative sexual encounters. She comes from a troubled family. Having failed in a land-exploitation scheme, the mother falls into semi-madness. She leaves her children entirely free to do as they wish. It appears that her family would not approve of an interracial tryst. But neither would his father, since in order to inherit his wealth, he must not break from a traditional Chinese arranged marriage. Annaud organizes the screenplay around this interracial relationship, the impossible metissage. The following spot from the Lover will provide for us visual representation of those compicated relations which occured in the colonial context. The Lover, in depth analysis The film is a representation of the socially constructed character of race and the detrimental effects of these classifications had on non-white peoples in the colonies†¦ Metis in Indochina: In Indochina the term applies to persons of French-Vietnamese descent. â€Å"Metisse† or woman of a mixed race always invoked the erotic and the exotic imagination in the French Literature. It is the primitivism that the European appealed to. She is the representation of the â€Å"domesticated primitism†. (the film – young metisse – highly eroticised) To a large extent, the female protagonist functions as the â€Å"exotic† metisse. The director represents her as an â€Å"exotic spectacle† to be gazed, so that the â€Å"female subjectivity† is centralized in the film’s representation. The young Duras is a â€Å"cultural metisse† – she is the ideal metisse, a European but born in the colonies. And she is transformed into an erotic figure. â€Å"Slender wrists and thick black hair† The young Duras’ physical features indicate her belonging to the Indochina geography, and this very resemblance of her to the girls from Indochina makes her Chinese lover feel related to her†¦ This time, the adolescent white European woman is subjected to the male Oriental gaze – typically contrary to the stereotypical colonial gaze†¦ Screening of the exotic â€Å"Other† The use of eroticism and sexual attraction between the races is inscribed in the films screenplay, as well as the fascination for the Other, be it for a geographical or human landscape. The Lover exposes directly the colonial situation from the position of the colonialist. It examines the parameters of an exotic passion between two people from different social and racial backgrounds, but it is limited to the geography of the Cholon bachelors bedroom. Braving the Boundaries†¦ Duras herself braved both French and Chinese cultural taboos by involving in a relationship with a long-time colonial ruler over the Indochinese population. Their romantic affair is an imperial narrative which places (class) exploitation out of the picture. Yet the class difference between the young French girl and the Indochinese/Chinese man is one of the major components of their relationship. At least, it is one by which Duras justifies the relationship: she is the daughter of a deprived colonizer in need of money, and he is the wealthy, educated son of a Chinese merchant. Once this class distinction is established, exploring interracial desire does not lead to rethinking colonial consciousness, but takes the shape of a cinematic tool as sexuality became a power tool†¦ Inter-racial intimacy overshadowed by the colonial ties †¦ The Lover explores the colonial ties between France and Indochina under the primarily erotic and sexual components of a nubile order, leading to a surface exploration of interracial intimacy. The stories conclusion shows the European reabsorption of the colonizer, whereas the native reintegrates the colonial space assigned to him/her. The Chinese lover marries his Chinese bride †¦ The film is much concerned with the characteristics that racial difference bestowed upon the Indochinese, neatly illustrated by his discussion of possible mixed marriages. Maurice Rondet-Saint’s book: Dans notre Empire Jaune (1917), is concerned with the characteristics that racial difference bestowed upon the Indochinese. It seems to be more particularly the individual role of the mother who fails to upbring her children as an ordinary member of the White colonial society. In this sense, those children were exposed to the native culture. Hence, they become less White, polluted by the â€Å"uncivilized†. The profoundly gendered view of the issue of culturally mixed race children is emphasized by Stoler that even fully European children in colonial context were seen â€Å"White but not quite†. Conclusion Mixed-race sexual relations [especially women] posed a threat because they blurred the sharp distinction between citizens and subjects on which the colonial order rested. This film explores the central place of the  «metis problem » in the management of colonial sexuality. Indochina in that context served as a laboratory for the â€Å"metis question†, but it is also an account of a global Empire marked by the persistent challenge of maintaining boundaries between citizen and subject. By exploring the intersection between sexuality, race and class in the colonial context through a cinematographic representation, we hope we have provided with a solid insight on the matters raised by Stoler on Racial Frontiers, Colonial Identities and the place of desire. Extras: Two figures in academia with an insightful touch on the colonial Indochina: 1) Panivong Norindr, in Filmic Memorial and Colonial Blues: Indochina in Contemporary French Cinema in the book Cinema, Colonialism, Postcolonialism. Perspectives from the French and Francophone Worlds. Ed. Dina Sherzer French culture- its love affair with Indochina- resulting in a number of novels and films. He considers three filmsIndochine, LAmant, and Dien Bien Phuin order to examine how they participate in the construction of a collective memory of Indochina. He concludes that these films sustain and reinforce the founding myths of the colonial presence in Indochina. 2) Srilata Ravi, in â€Å"Metis, Metisse and Metissage: Representations and Self-representations† in the book Asia in Europe, Europe in Asia By Farid Alatas (Syed. ), Srilata Ravi, Mario Rutten, Beng-Lan Goh : Institute of Southeast Asian Studies Nagel, 2000. Ethnicity and Sexuality. Annual Review of Sociology. 26 Pratt, 1992 – Imperial Eyes: Travel Writing and Transculturation. London: Routhledge Scott, Weapons of the Weak: Everyday forms of Peasant Resistance. New Haven, CT. Yale University Press.

How to Rename or Define

How to Rename or Define How to Rename or Define How to Rename or Define By Mark Nichol When constructing a sentence in which a term or concept is described in other words or a meaning is given, use these guidelines for punctuating the parenthesis. When using namely, which establishes that one or more examples or names of a thing will be provided, or employing phrases that serve a similar purpose (such as â€Å"for example† and â€Å"that is†), always follow the word or phrase with a comma. The punctuation preceding the word or phrase depends on the structure of the sentence. (The abbreviations e.g. and i.e., representing Latin phrases equivalent to â€Å"for example† and â€Å"that is,† respectively, are discouraged in formal prose in favor of the English phrases except in parentheses or in notes; use the same surrounding punctuation for the abbreviations as for the phrases.) When what follows is a simple phrase and not an independent clause, precede namely and the like with an em dash to signal that one is transitioning from discussing something to providing examples about it: â€Å"Constitutional law defines the interrelationships between various branches of government within a state namely, the executive, the legislative, and the judicial.† Alternatively, enclose the additional information in parentheses: â€Å"I enjoy reading nineteenth-century historical adventure novels (for example, those by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Sir Walter Scott, and Robert Louis Stevenson).† If the word or phrase, and what follows, is an independent clause, start a new sentence or precede the word or phrase with a semicolon: â€Å"I agree with what you said. That is, I agree if I understand what you meant.† â€Å"I agree with what you said; that is, I agree if I understand what you meant.† An em dash may be used in place of the period or semicolon to signal an abrupt addition to the preceding statement, or use parentheses to represent an afterthought. Another option, in place of using namely, is to employ a colon, which among other purposes is used to indicate an expansion or explanation: â€Å"Constitutional law defines the interrelationships between various branches of government within a state: the executive, the legislative, and the judicial.† â€Å"For example,† â€Å"that is,† and similar phrases can be used following a colon or an em dash: â€Å"I enjoy reading nineteenth-century historical adventure novelists: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Sir Walter Scott, and Robert Louis Stevenson, for example.† â€Å"I enjoy reading nineteenth-century historical adventure novelists that is, writers like Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Sir Walter Scott, and Robert Louis Stevenson.† (Either phrase can precede or follow the examples, but â€Å"for example† usually comes at the end and â€Å"that is† usually appears at the beginning.) Use of â€Å"in other words† as a transitional phrase follows these patterns (the particular method of punctuation depends on the context specific to a sentence): â€Å"We have insufficient funds to continue operating in other words, we are broke.† â€Å"We have insufficient funds to continue operating. In other words, we are broke.† â€Å"We have insufficient funds to continue operating; in other words, we are broke.† â€Å"We have insufficient funds to continue operating. (In other words, we are broke.)† One similar point about punctuation is how to provide a gloss, or a brief definition, as I’ve done in this sentence for the word gloss: Set the gloss off from the term with a pair of commas. Alternatively, enclose the gloss in parentheses, especially if the gloss is a translation: The word is chico (â€Å"boy,† â€Å"child,† or â€Å"small†). Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Style category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Creative Writing 101Proved vs. ProvenGlimpse and Glance: Same or Different?

What does Sartre mean by human beings existence preceding their Essay

What does Sartre mean by human beings existence preceding their essence Do you agree with his notion of radical freedom and responsibility why or why not - Essay Example It is because he himself has denied to follow the right path and indulged himself in bad deeds. So what is more important to Sartre was existence rather than essence. The reason why I agree with this philosophy is that if we think meticulously then we do agree somehow that whatever a man does, only he is himself for that. For example, let us suppose, I have spoken lie to my mother, for petty issues, like for omitting my high school or anything else. Then I do not think that my mother or father is responsible for that. It is also not that my essence is bad. Whatever I am doing, I am doing it with my own mind. I am sensible enough to differentiate between good and bad deeds and if still I opt for bad ones then it is simply my own choice. Moreover, when I keep on lying with everyone and involved in false acts then people will definitely know me as a liar. No one will think about my essence, everyone blames me for my false actions. That is why I think that Sartre is somewhat right in his sayings and notion of radical freedom and responsibility. One reason that makes me think otherwise is that everyone is not bad by birth. Criminal is not a born criminal, a liar is not a born liar. It is our society who made them so. What I believe is that if a person has good essence, then his inner can never feel gratified and contented for his false deeds. One day he surely regrets for all his actions done so far in his life. Conclusively, my opinion is a blend of yes and no to the Sartre’s notion of radical freedom. Though we are free enough to do whatever we wish. Also, sensible enough to draw a line between good and bad deeds, that is why if we are doing something good or bad that totally depends on us as well as the society where we live, our friends whose company makes a lot of difference on our personality and last but not the least our essence

A character study of Sarty in the Burning Barn Research Paper - 1

A character study of Sarty in the Burning Barn - Research Paper Example The first time we come across Sarty, it is easy to tell that it might not have been his first time to appear in the court rooms. Nevertheless this has not been communicated before by Sarty. The lessons learnt from the courts and the knowledge about justice makes Sarty to feel that barn burning is not a good act and that it is not good to be forced by his own father to get involved in that and pretend not to have participated in the barn burning. Sarty is well aware that by a mere fact that he is only helping his father and acting under a instruction from him to burn barns is a crime punishable under the law. There is no excuse after participating in such an act. The feeling of guilt arises after knowing that it is wrong to barn burns. Sarty do not see things in the perspective of being incorrect according to the law or religion but in the perspective of a duty to the community or civic responsibility. In the scenario where Lennie is told to hold Sarty, for instance, he orders her mother to leave him alone or else he could hit her back. According to Sarty it is wrong to hit your mother but engaging in barn burning is even worse. Similarly, betraying his own father is also a challenge and would result into her mother being heartbroken, but this cannot prevent him from making a decision that is best according to his senses. His age is only ten and this is certainly not the right position he was to be involved in. the writer, William Faulkne, has simply made Sarty to be in a complex situation. In the de-Spain-Mansion, we come to meet the thoughts of the character Sarty. This is a very important moment after Sarty comes to see it. The mansion arouses the little boy’s thoughts; it makes him to remember the courthouse. By remembering the court house is a clear indication that Sarty has at one moment come across a courthouse. It also gives some clue that Sarty could possibly

Prevalence of smoking and drinking Essay Example for Free

Prevalence of smoking and drinking Essay Adolescence, from Latin word adolescere which means â€Å"to grow up† is a transitional stage of physical and psychological human development generally occurring between puberty and legal adulthood. It is most closely associated with teenage years. Adolescence is further divided into three more stages, the early (12-14 years old), middle (15-17 years old) and late adolescence (18-20/21 years old). In each stage of human development, there are physical, emotional and physiological changes that happen. This is based from the concept that humans have developmental tasks that should be accomplish per stage. In the adolescence stage, adolescents are in critical stage because teenagers are exposed to a larger environment (Macmillan Dictionary for Students, 1981). Background of the study Nowadays, teenagers that are exposed to different environment are now engaged to smoking and drinking alcoholic beverages for some reasons. The strong association between binge drinking and smoking among adolescents may be attributable, in part, to the fact that both adolescent alcohol use and tobacco use share a number of sociocultural risk factors. Researchers have found that these factors—including family and peer influences, demographics, advertising, economics, and alcohol and tobacco availability—are associated with adolescents’ initial and continued tobacco and alcohol use (Bobo, J. and Corinne Husten, 2000). According to the U. S. Surgeon General Report (1994), approximately 80% of adult smokers started smoking before the age of 18. Every day, nearly 3,000 young people under the age of 18 become regular smokers and an estimated 2. 1 million people began smoking on a daily basis in 1997. More than half of these new daily smokers were younger than age 18. This translates to more than 3,000 new youth smokers per day. The rate of youth initiation of daily smoking increased somewhat from 55. 5 to 74. 9 per 1,000 potential new users between 1991 and 1996, but remained level in 1997 (the 1998 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse). It is said that young people who come from a lowincome family and have fewer than two adults living in their household are especially at risk for becoming smokers and those with poorer grades and lower self-images are most likely to begin. using tobacco. Over the past decade, there has been virtually no decline in smoking rates among all teens. Among black adolescents, however, the prevalence of smoking has declined dramatically. Most young people who smoke are addicted to nicotine and were reported that they want to quit but are unable to do so (Statistics on Teens, 1994). In 2002, Komro and Toomey said that alcohol use by underage drinkers is a persistent public health problem in the United States, and alcohol is the most commonly used drug among adolescents. Accordingly, numerous approaches have been developed and studied that aim to prevent underage drinking. Alcohol use initiation rates for children rise quickly from age 10 up to about age 13, when they reach more than 50 percent. Subsequently, initiation rates begin to slow again (Kosterman, R. et al. , 2000). Moreover, alcohol is the most commonly used drug among adolescents. According to Epstein, J. et al. , alcohol use continues to be an important public health problem. Recent national survey data indicate that 41% of current 8th graders, 62% of 10th graders, 73% of 12th graders and 85% of college students have used alcohol. Even more troubling is that 11% of 8th graders, 22% of 10th graders, 25% of 12th graders and 40% of college students reported heavy episodic drinking. Domingo and Marquez found large gender differences in the risk-taking behaviors among Filipino adolescents and youths. Men are much more likely than women to drink, smoke, and use drugs. The large gender difference in risk-taking behavior among adolescents and youths is rather common in Asian countries but not in the U. S. In our case, The Philippines has no national law regulating smoking and sale of tobacco products. There is no minimum age requirement for the purchase of cigarettes and no law regulating the advertising and promotion of cigarettes. There is no law that requires the printing of warning labels on cigarette packages. Instead, the National Tobacco Administration (NTA) is supposed to protect and promote the â€Å"balanced and integrated growth† of the tobacco industry. Despite the results of a survey which say that 72 per cent of the polled adult population was supportive of having a legislation banning smoking advertisements. There are more restrictions on drinking than smoking especially of the minors. Those who are less than 18 years old are 2|Page prohibited from purchasing or drinking alcoholic drinks. However, the enforcement of this regulation is weak (Choe, M. and Corazon Raymundo, 2001). Objectives This study aimed to determine the prevalence of smoking and drinking of alcoholic beverages among senior high school students specifically: 1. to compare the prevalence of smoking and drinking of alcoholic beverages between senior students of public and private high school; 2. to contrast the occurrence of smoking and drinking alcoholic beverages among senior high school males and females; 3. to identify and rank the reasons why senior high school students smoke and drink alcoholic beverages; 4. to determine the awareness status of senior high school students in terms of the effects of smoking and drinking alcoholic beverages on their physiological health; and 5.to identify the effect of smoking and drinking of alcoholic beverages on the socialization of senior high school students. Review of Related Literature There are different factors affecting different behaviors of adolescents. One social theory studied by Travis Hirschi (1969) is a more general explanation of deviance than deterrence theory, but which is, in turn, primarily restricted to informal social control which comes from individuals being bonded to groups and institutions. 1236 grade 9-13 students from 62 randomly selected classrooms in 3 Canadian schools in the Borough of East York, 1 of Metropolitan Torontos 6 municipalities, were surveyed in December 1994 about their alcohol drinking beliefs and behaviors, and related lifestyle behaviors. Findings are based upon the analysis of data from 628 boys and 608 girls, of whom 799 were born in Canada. 24% of the students reported never having tasted alcohol, 22% had tasted alcohol but were not current drinkers, 39% were current moderate drinkers, 11% drank at 3|Page least 5 drinks per occasion at least once per month, and 5% did not answer. The most often stated reasons for not drinking were family upbringing and they believed adverse effects of alcohol consumption upon health, while the most often stated reasons for drinking were because it is an enjoyable experience and to get into a party mood. Respondents drinking patterns were significantly related to gender, ethnicity, grade, and the reported drinking habits of parents and friends. Older male adolescents who describe themselves as Canadian are more likely to drink heavily than are students who are younger or female, or self-identify as Asian or European. Current heavy drinkers are at greater risk than other students of engaging in other high-risk behaviors such as drinking and driving, riding with an intoxicated automobile driver, and smoking every day (Feldman et al. , 1999). In one of the surveys in US, half of respondents knew of a place near their school where kids could go to drink and get high during the school day, according to the yearly back-to-school survey, which polled 1,003 12-to-17-years old. And more than one-third said that students had ample opportunity during the school day to drug, drink and smoke without getting caught. Drug use in both public and private schools is on the rise, with 54 percent of private high school students reporting that drugs are available in their schools versus 24 percent in 2002 and 61 percent of students at public schools saying their schools are drug infected, compared with 46 percent in 2002. The researchers looked closely at the role of social media in teen substance use and found 75 percent of surveyed 12 to 17-year-olds said seeing pictures of teens partying with alcohol or marijuana on social networking sites such as Facebook or MySpace encourages them to party similarly (Gardner, 2012). Forty-five percent of teens almost 11 million said they have seen such pictures online and 47 percent of those teens said that it seems like pictured teens are having a good time. Teens who have seen these pictures were found to be four times more likely to have used marijuana, more than three times likelier to have used alcohol, and almost three times more likely to have used tobacco (CBSnews, 2012). 4|Page In the awareness of teenagers on the health risks of smoking and drinking, it was found in one of the studies that teenagers think that smoking is more dangerous than smoking. Teen smoking has declined in all three grades included in the study—grades 8, 10, and 12. Still, almost 19 percent of 12th graders reported current (past-month) cigarette use. This decline shows that more teens realize the harm smoking does to your body and are making the decision not to start. Also, teens’ attitudes about smoking have changed. They increasingly prefer to date nonsmokers and believe smoking to be a dirty habit. Likewise, among nearly all grades, trends over the past 5 years showed significant decreases in alcohol use, including first-time use, occasional use, daily use, and binge drinking. As with smoking, this decline may be the result of more teens understanding the risk of drinking alcohol and disapproving of this behavior (The Sara Bellum Blog, 2012). How teenagers feel about themselves plays a significant role in whether they choose to drink or use other drugs, according to a new report released today by SADD and Liberty Mutual Group. The Teens Today 2003 study also reveals that a teen’s Sense of Self, can influence sexual behavior, reaction to peer pressure, and, importantly, be affected by a teen’s relationships with parents (Henderson and Greenberg, 2004). Research has shown that the media over estimates smoking rates and often associates smoking with favorable attributes or situations. Given that the media plays a large role in influencing youth culture, portrayal of smoking in the media is of concern. In order to explore young people’s perceptions of smoking imagery in the media, 16 focus groups were conducted with 117 school students. Participants were asked to rate smoking images selected from audiovisual and print media, and to discuss their perceptions of these images. The results showed that young people perceived smoking in these media selections to be normal and acceptable. They identified with the stress relieving and social aspects of smoking, despite being well aware of the harmful health effects. Its acceptability as part of a ‘cool’ image was also noted. Positive images of smoking in the media have the potential to down play the serious health consequences of smoking by portraying it in a way that young people interpret as a 5|Page normal part of everyday life. They may also encourage a more neutral or tolerant attitude towards smoking among young people and therefore act to counteract other health promotion efforts to reduce teenage smoking (Watson et al., 2003). 6|Page METHODOLOGY The Participants In the study of determining the prevalence of smoking and drinking alcoholic beverages among senior students from private and public high schools, a total of forty senior high school students, twenty students comprising of ten male and ten female students from public high school and twenty students comprising of ten male and ten female students from private high school were randomly asked to answer the questionnaires provided by the group. The public school was a public national high school located in Los Banos, Laguna. On the other hand, the private school is a registered private non-sectarian high school in Los Banos, Laguna as well. The respondents have a mean age of 16 years old, ranging from 15-18, having a mode of 16. Measures The most commonly used and most frequently self devised measuring instrument, the questionnaire was used simply to obtain information directly from subject as to make a standardized list of factual information or elicited application that was generalized to a larger population. A one-shot survey questionnaire was used as the research instrument in the study of determining the prevalence of smoking and drinking alcoholic beverages among senior students from private and public high schools. It is a usual study design where a single group of individuals is selected for observation over a single, limited time period, usually because they have experienced some factor taken as important in shaping some outcome (Kelly, 2012). And according to Jupp (2012), it is akin to one-off crosssectional design. As shown in Appendix A, a letter to the respondent identifying our topic and informing our objectives were told. Moreover, see Appendix B for the complete copy of the questionnaire used in the study. 7|Page The questionnaire was divided into three parts: Personal information, Physiological status and Lifestyle, and Social Aspect. The Personal information section was used for determining the age, sex, type of school, religion, and parents’ civil status. While in the physiological status and lifestyle section, this would tell us how often the students from private and public schools smoke and drink alcoholic beverages. Also, to find out if the students were aware of the effects that these specific vices can contribute to their health condition. Lastly, the way of smoking and drinking alcoholic beverages of the students in terms of having a companion or not while smoking and/or drinking and the perceptions of parents and themselves were determined in the Social Aspect section. The Setting The researchers had entrusted the set of questionnaires to one of the respondents from public and one from private high schools. They were the ones who distributed the set questionnaires to their fellow senior high school classmates. The respondents were a given a whole day time to answer the survey questionnaire. The two entrusted students collected all the completely answered survey questionnaires at the end of the day. Data Analysis In the process of obtaining, the questionnaires were made, distributed and collected again. For a more simple analysis of the data collated, tallying was made in a tabulated manner. The data obtained were computed to get the percentage by dividing the number of score with the sum total of scores and then multiplying it by 100% using the formula: P = f / N x 100% Where: P – Percentage N – Total number of respondents F – Frequency 8|Page And lastly, for an easier glance to the data collected, it will have a graphical presentation in a form of bar graph, pie chart and other usual graphical ways to present the data. In order to identify the reasons why they smoke and what they think their parents perceive them a list of possible choices were mentioned in the questionnaire. These reasons were ranked 1 to 3 by the respondents who are smoking and/or drinking alcoholic beverages. In order to evaluate the rankings, an improvised rubric is formulated. Every number (rank) has an equivalent vote just to differentiate and identify the leading reasons. Rank 1 – 3 points Rank 2 – 2 points Rank 3 – 1 point The highest vote will be assigned as the top reason while the others will be ranked according to the accumulated votes. The tabulated rank can be found on the results and discussion. Other data, including the occurrence, prevalence, frequency, reasons, and perceptions of male and female senior students smoking and drinking alcoholic beverages among private and public high schools were tabulated and graphed in order to see the comparison. While in determining the awareness of the students if smoking and drinking alcoholic beverages had an effect on their health condition, and if they were able to gain friends were in a form of poll. 9|Page RESULTS AND DISCUSSION The prevalence of smoking and drinking alcoholic beverages among senior students of public and private high school were determined and observed. As seen in Table 1, the total number of students smoking is 3, with 2 females and 1 male in public school. While 4 students, with 3 males and 1 female in private school. Among the 40 students, 7 of them were smoking. Table 1. Number of male and female students smoking in private and public high schools Public Private Subtotal Male 1 3 4 Female 2 1 3 3 4 7 TOTAL As seen in Table 2, the total number of students drinking alcoholic beverages in public school is 6, with 4 males and 2 females. While there are 9 students drinking alcoholic beverages in private school. Among the 40 students, 15 of them were drinking alcoholic beverages. Table 2. Number of male and female students drinking alcoholic beverages in private and public high schools Public Private Subtotal Male 4 6 10 Female 2 3. 5 6 9 15 TOTAL 10 | P a g e The occurrence of male and female students smoking in public and private high school students is shown in Fig. 1. It was observed that there’s a higher number of smoking students in male category in private school. While, there is a higher number of smoking students in female category in public school. Moreover, students from private schools are more exposed to smoking. This might be because of the accessibility and affordability. Most private school students are in middle to high class statuses. Smoking 3. 5 3 2. 5 2 Male 1. 5 Female 1 0. 5. 0 Private Public Fig. 1. Occurrence of male and female students smoking in private and public high schools Conversely, The occurrence of male and female students drinking alcoholic beverages in public and private high school students are shown in Fig. 2.. It was observed that there’s a higher number of students drinking alcoholic beverages in male category in private school. While, there is a higher number of students drinking alcoholic beverages in male category in public school. Moreover, students from private schools are more exposed to drinking alcoholic beverages. This might be because of the accessibility and affordability. Most private school students are in middle to high class statuses. 11 | P a g e Drinking 7 6 5 4 Male 3 Female 2 1 0 Private Public Fig. 2. Occurrence of male and female students drinking alcoholic beverages in private and public high schools Table 3. Frequency of male and female students smoking in private and public high schools Daily 1-2 times a week 3-5 times a week Occasionally Public Male | Female | | 2 1 Male || | Female | Subtotal 0 0 Private Subtotal 0 3 1 0 TOTAL 0 5 2 0 12 | P a g e 0%. Smoking 0% 29% Daily 1-2x a week 3-5x a week Occasionally 71% Fig. 3. Frequency of male and female students smoking in private and public high schools Table 4. Frequency of male and female students drinking alcoholic beverages in private and public high schools Daily 1-2 times a week 3-5 times a week Occasionally Public Male ||| Female | | 4 1 1 Male |||| | | Female | | | Subtotal 0 | Private Subtotal 0 5 2 2 TOTAL 0 9 3 3 13 | P a g e Figure 4. Frequency of male and female students drinking alcoholic beverages in private and public high schools 0% Drinking 20%. Daily 1-2x a week 3-5x a week 20% 60% Occasionally Students involved in smoking in private and public high schools had their own reasons why they did the vice. As seen in Table 5, the most voted reason in public high school was to experiment, and the least was because they imitated it from their parents. On the other hand, the most voted reason in private high school was to experiment also and the least was because of losing weight and media influence. 14 | P a g e Table 5. Rank of reasons of male and female students smoking in private and public high schools. Smoking Public Private Rank Votes Reason Rank Votes 6 0 Imitated from parents 2 6 2 5 Peer pressure 3 4 3 3 Media influence (advertisements) 5 0 5 1 Fashionable 4 3 5 1 Form of rebellion 4 3 4 2 Wanting to lose weight 5 0 1 6 To experiment 1 8 18 24 Table 6. Combined ranking of reasons of male and female students smoking in private and public high schools Smoking Rank Reason Votes 1 To experiment 14 2 Peer pressure 9 3 Imitated from parents 6 4 Fashionable 4 4 Form of rebellion 4 5 Media influence (advertisements) 3 6 Wanting to lose weight 2 42. 15 | P a g e Reasons for smoking 7% To experiment 5% 33% 10% Peer Pressure Imitated from parents Fashionable 10% Form of rebellion Media influence 14% 21% Figure 5. Combined ranking of reasons of male and female students smoking in private and public high schools Students involved in drinking alcoholic beverages in private and public high schools had their own reasons why they did the vice. As seen in Table 7, the most voted reason in public high school was to have good time with friends, and the least was because of boredom and form of rebellion. On the other hand, the most voted reason in private high school was to have good time with friends also and the least was because of boredom and form of rebellion also. 16 | P a g e Table 7. Rank of reasons of male and female students drinking alcoholic beverages in private and public high schools Drinking Alcoholic beverages Public Rank Vote Private Reason Rank Vote 1 13 To have good time with friends 1 17 3 5 To experiment, to see what it’s like 2 10 5 2 To feel good, get high 4 7 4 4 Because it tastes good 6 4 2 9 To relax or relieve tension 3 9 7 0 Boredom. 7 0 5 2 To get away from my problems 5 6 7 0 Form of rebellion 7 0 7 0 Influenced by alcoholic parents 8 0 6 1 To get to sleep 7 1 7 0 To fit with a group I like 8 0 7 0 Anger or frustration 8 0 36 54 17 | P a g e Table 8. Combined ranking of reasons of male and female students drinking alcoholic beverages in private and public high schools Drinking Rank Reason Votes 1 To have good time with friends 30 2 To relax or relieve tension 18 3 To experiment, to see what it’s like 15 4 To feel good, get high 9 5 Because it tastes good 8 5 To get away from my problems. 8 6 To get to sleep 2 7 Boredom 0 7 Form of rebellion 0 7 Influenced by alcoholic parents 0 7 To fit with a group I like 0 7 Anger or frustration 0 90 18 | P a g e Reasons for drinking alcoholic beverages 2% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% To have good time with friends To relax or relieve tension 9% To experiment, to see what it’s like 9% 33% To feel good, get high Because it tastes good To get away from my problems 10% To get to sleep Boredom Form of rebellion 17% Influenced by alcoholic parents 20% To fit with a group I like Anger or frustration Fig. 6. Combined ranking of reasons of male and female students drinking alcoholic beverages in private and public high schools High school students are indeed part of the society. However, that does not mean that all of them are aware on certain issues present in the status quo today. Figure7 shows us that in terms of awareness of male and female students in the effects of smoking to the health condition, 95% said that they are aware, and 5% said they are not aware. This just means that even though majority knows that this can affect health condition, there are still young students who are blindly exposed to this habit. Aware Not Aware 95% 5% Fig. 7. Awareness status of male and female students in the effects of smoking to the health condition 19 | P a g e Figure 8 shows us that in terms of awareness of male and female students in the effects of drinking alcoholic beverages to the health condition, 100% said that they are aware. Students were able to identify the negative effects of drinking to health condition. 100% Aware Not Aware Fig. 8. Awareness status of male and female students in the effects of drinking alcoholic beverages to the health condition. While it is important to know the reason why some adolescents smoke and/or drink alcoholic beverages, and after knowing if they were aware that these things affect their health conditions. We also have to look at the perceptions of people around them, and also what they think of themselves. In contrast to awareness of the respondents in the negative effects of smoking and drinking on health condition is their way of performing these vices, either alone, with friends, or both. Fig. 9 and Fig. 10 shows the way of drinking and smoking of public and private high school students respectively. It is observed that 53% or the majority of the students engage in drinking with friends, and 80% of them smoke either alone or with friends. This shows the social aspect of the students with their same age group in doing the said activities. 20 | P a g e Do you drink by yourself or with your friends? 0% Alone 47% With friends 53% Both Fig. 9. Way of drinking alcoholic beverages of male and female students among public and private high schools Do you smoke by yourself or with your friends? 0% 20% Alone With friends Both 80% Fig. 10. Way of smoking of male and female students among public and private high schools. 21 | P a g e Table 9. Perception of smokers and/or drinker of people on them Parents Cool || Friends Self 2 ||| 3 |||| 4 0 || 2 | 1 |||||-|||| 9 |||||-||| 8 |||||-| 6 |||| 4 || 2 |||| 4 Addict Good Bad As seen in Fig. 11, the majority of the students answered COOL as what they think their parents thought of them. The least vote was they thought that their parents think their children were bad. This means that even if they’re doing those kinds of vices, their parents still accept them. What your parents think of you? 9% 10% Cool Addict Good 23% 58% Bad Fig. 11. Perception of the respondents on what their parents think of them as they smoke and drink alcoholic beverages 22 | P a g e On the other hand, the Fig. 12 shows the perception of the respondents on what their friends think of them in engagement of the said vices. 54% think that their friends consider their activity in a good way because it helps them gain friends, to be able to interact, and to socialize well with other people. It is observed that what they think their friends perceive also had the same result as to how they comprehend themselves when they smoke or drink. What your friends think of you? 13% 20% Cool Addict 13% Good Bad 54% Fig. 12. Perception of the respondents on what their friends think of them as they smoke and drink alcoholic beverages It is also important that students can assess themselves even if they are doing some vices. As seen in Figure 13, majority of them still thought that they are good. However, 6% of the students thought they are addicts. Conversely, there is a consensus that 27% thought that they are cool and bad. 23 | P a g e How do you perceive youself? Cool 27% 27% Addict Good 6% Bad 40% Fig. 13. Perception of the respondents on what they perceive on themselves as they smoke and drink alcoholic beverages Perceptions are indeed important. But, it is still significant when it comes to application or reality. Are these students still gain friends after all their vices? In a poll seen in Fig. 14, 9 out of 15 said that they gained friends, and 6 out of 15 said that they did not gain friends. Meaning, there people who discriminate or dislike the vices. Or even if it’s okay for them, it is not proper to be exposed earlier. Did you gain friends? Yes No 60%. 40% 9 out of 15 6 out of 15 Fig. 14. A poll showing the effect of drinking and/or smoking on their socialization Seemingly, many committed smokers and/or drinkers showed that they gained friends after having learning how to smoke and/or drink. However, there are still some who don’t. 24 | P a g e LIMITATION AND SIGNIFICANCE Limitation There are certain problems that were encountered in the study. One of which is that the idea that honesty in answering these questionnaires have suffered. The respondents may or may not answer these questionnaires in full honesty. From here, we may have little discrepancies or percentage errors. Significance The significance of this study is for the teenagers to be aware in terms of the effects of smoking and drinking alcoholic beverages on their physiological health. This study can also help the parents of those teenagers to understand more the point of view of teenagers who are engaged to these activities. They can know the cause why teenagers are into smoking and drinking alcoholic beverage. 25 | P a g e SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS. Summary and Conclusion The study was able to conduct the research on the prevalence of smoking and drinking alcoholic beverages among senior students of public and private high school. 18% of the students in both public and private schools are engaged in smoking; however, there are students in private schools who smoke more than students in public schools. It is concluded that the social status of the students is a common factor since private school students have more access to cigarettes and could afford it than those in public schools. It is also determined that the male students in private schools and the female students in public schools are more prone to the said vice and their main reasons were: (1) to experiment; (2) peer pressure; and (3) imitated from their parents. With regards to their way of smoking, the students’ general frequency is 1-2 times a week, and they usually smoke either alone or with peers. Most likely they tend to smoke with their peers because it is their way of socialization. The students also perceive that they are also likely to gain friends when they smoke. It is concluded that the perception of the students to what their parent think of them is â€Å"in-the-trend† when they are engaged in smoking. The majority thinks that their parents consider them as â€Å"cool† or â€Å"sophisticated†. Aside from that, the respondents think that their friends refer to smoking in a good way, causing them to also perceive the same judgment. To summarize the above statements, it is evident that the students in their adolescent stage have more desire to please their peers rather than their parents because they want to have a sense of belonging and they want to socialize more with people of the same age group. Peers are the most important relationship in the teenage years. They engage in different kinds of activities, and one of those are vices. In this stage, the curiosity level of the person is prominent because he/she is able to perceive different kinds of activities from various types of people. Parents are also a factor because they are the ones who nourish their child’s well-being. What they do causes 26 | P a g e various impacts on the child, causing him/her to either imitate it or not. The social status of the students also has an effect on their engagement in vices; it depends on how well they can afford it and on what terms they could get access. On the other hand, not every student in both public and private high schools is aware that smoking can affect their health condition. 5% of the students are still blindly exposed to the effects of smoking; therefore, it is recommended that both kinds of schools should also give the students more knowledge and expose them.

Analyzing the Effects of Educational Structure of Vietnam on the Greate

Analyzing the Effects of Educational Structures and Opportunities of Vietnam on the Greater Society Abstract: Education attainment is the highest level of formal education a person achieves within a given society. With education there are more opportunities, including a better standard of living. Vietnam is a developing country that sees the benefits of higher education, but due to structural problems, students and administration are dealt with many pressures to overcome. This paper uses structural theories of Weber and Parsons to analyze the current situations in Vietnam. By using public publications and personal interviews, inferences are made about the future development of the country. ANALYZING THE EFFECTS OF THE EDUCATIONAL STRUCTURE OF VIETNAM ON THE GREATER SOCIETY â€Å"Hope is important because it can make the present moment less difficult to bear. If we believe that tomorrow will be better, we can bear a hardship today.† - Thà ­ch Nhá º ¥t Há º ¡nh, This quote spoken by Thà ­ch Nhá º ¥t Há º ¡nh, a religious scholar, Buddhist monk and activist from Vietnam represents the aspiration to have a better life that all people seek. This message, while short, concisely represents the attitudes of many individuals coming from impoverished or developing countries. Generally from a sociological perspective, aspiration profoundly influences people to achieve. The Socialist Republic of Vietnam is a Southeast Asian nation on the brinks of social development within both public and private sectors. The country which is noted for its single party communist agenda with French civil statute influences, it has re-opened western diplomacy in the last two decades since the Vietnam War. The summer of 2010 marked Vietnam’s 15th ann... ...the abilities for individuals to make decisions accordingly. In particular, family units may influence big decisions, such as what university or college to enter and what a child should choose as a major. Of course, various family units may have varying demands on members, depending on living conditions. This topic will be further discussed later in this paper. In society, there is what sociologists call life chances. Max Weber developed this term and it refers to the opportunities available for a given person within a society (Anderson and Howard 2009). As indicated in our introduction, this often reflects particular stratification of an individual. This also correlates with how individuals interact within society as an institution. Perhaps, life chances could be grouped with the adaptation function with student’s using the resources that are presented to them.

Poetic Techniques in Kevin Gilbert’s “The New True Anthem” Essay

The poem â€Å"The New True Anthem† by Kevin Gilbert acknowledges the fact that there is more then a single opinion of what has happened to the lives of people both English and native aboriginal, also what has happened to the beautiful land once home to many native aboriginal tribes all over the continent of Australia. It also says that people of English descendent say that they do love Australia while in fact they don’t and are treating it as a land of their own as if nothing was there before the time of their arrival, as they are treating the native Australians without respect and are not treating them as the original owners of the land but rather as slaves. In the poem â€Å"The New True Anthem† by Kevin Gilbert the poet displayed all kinds of poetic technique but the one that stood out for me the most was imagery. In this poem there was a various use of personification which really made this poem more intriguing. Gilbert is displaying the hatred he has towards Australia and the white folk due to the way they have treated Aboriginals culture and their home land. Gilbert wrote this poem whilst he was suffering from poverty and was incarcerated in prison. Gilbert displayed his passionate feelings for Aboriginal rights and dignity through poems. Gilbert at the beginning of the poem stated about Mackellars’ poem â€Å"My Country† to state the differences on their point of view.

Frankenstein: Nature vs Nurture

Twins are commonly used to study the effects of nature versus nurture. Ones immediate surroundings define who they become later on in life. The environment plays a huge role in the development of humanity through cultivating personality, character, beliefs, and many different aspects in a person’s life. Different environmental influences provide for a variety of people. In terms of the literary selection Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, the author’s view on Nature vs.Nurture is that the development of an individual revolves around nature. Firstly, the creature conceals wantonly emotions due to the flagrant mistreatment of society. Frankenstein exclaims â€Å"The love of another will destroy the cause of my crimes, and I shall become a thing of whose existence everyone will be ignorant† (Shelley 106). If someone is being shown love and kindness, they will be prone to reciprocate these emotions.As Frankenstein is persuading Victor to create him a female he commiserate s with humanity exclaiming, â€Å"I shall feel the affections of a sensitive being and become linked to the chain of existence and events, from which I am now excluded† (Shelley 106). Long term advantages for learning behavior and for the development of physical and mental health are obtained through stabilizing secure, receptive, and nourishing relationships. The creature learns this is early on in life which is beneficial, so he can carry out illustrious and consistent acts which is the key sustaining the foundation of a prevailing lifestyle.At first, the creature is destitute in expressing himself, however as he matures, he is able to manifest dissimilar emotions. Frankenstein verbally analyzes himself through concluding, â€Å"I am malicious because I am miserable. Am I not shunned and hated by all mankind† (Shelley 104). Learning through the acts of society and constantly being around certain attitudes attaches to the creature’s senses and he adapts. By vir tue of observing and grasping certain ideals of life.

Kansas Nebraska Act.

Kansas Nebraska Act. The Kansas-Nebraska Act, of 1854, created and destroyed American political parties and lead to the sectional differences in our nation that resulted in violence. The Kansas-Nebraska Act was a plan introduced by Stephen Douglas that would divide the remainder of the Louisiana Purchase, of 1803, into two separate territories- Kansas and Nebraska. In each territory popular sovereignty would allow voters to determine whether the state was to be a slave state or a free state. If Stephen's Act was passed, a railroad could be built from Chicago to the pacific, an idea that outraged northerners. They believed it was a terrible plot to turn Free states into a "dreary region...inhabited by masters and slaves." All across the antislavery North, citizens held protest meetings and sent anti-Nebraska petitions to Congress. But with the South's strong support along with President Pierce persuading fellow democrats to vote for it, Douglas's plan for turning Chicago into a rich city filled with Calif ornia's new found wealth, was full steam ahead.Sam Houston was named commander of the new Texian ...But Congress did not approve the construction of the railroad until 1862.On July 6th, 1854 in the town of Jackson, Michigan, hundreds of people who were against the recently passed Kansas-Nebraska Act came together to form the Republican party. Douglas felt the Act would "raise a storm" and it did just that. Under pressure from Douglas and President Pierce, nearly 60 northern Democrats had voted for the Kansas-Nebraska bill, and suffered the consequences for their support. Only 7 of the northern Democrats who voted for the bill retained their seats. The others had left because of the controversy caused by the Kansas-Nebraska act. The party was hurt further by the Ostend Manifesto. In this document, three U.S. diplomats laid out a plan to buy Cuba, which allowed slavery. If Spain refused, they would take...

Joseph Winters and the Fire Escape Ladder

Joseph Winters and the Fire Escape Ladder On May 7, 1878, the fire escape ladder was patented by Joseph Winters. Joseph Winters invented a wagon-mounted fire escape ladder for the city of Chambersburg, Pennsylvania. A historic marker was placed in 2005 at the Junior Hose and Truck Company #2 in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania noting Winters patents for the fire escape ladder and hose conductor and his work on the Underground Railway. It lists his dates of birth and death as 1816-1916. Life of Joseph Winters There are at least three different, widely varying birth years given for Joseph Winters, from 1816 to 1830 by various sources. His mother was Shawnee and his father, James, was a black brickmaker who worked at Harpers Ferry to build the federal gun factory and arsenal. The familys tradition said that his father was also descended Powhatan chief  Opechancanough. Joseph was raised by his grandmother Betsy Cross in Waterford, Virginia, where she was known as the Indian Doctor woman, a herbalist and healer. His later knowledge of nature may have stemmed from this time. At that time there were free black families in the area and Quakers who were active abolitionists. Winters used the nickname Indian Dick in his publications. Joseph also later worked at Harpers Ferry sanding brick molds before the family moved to Chambersburg, Pennsylvania. In Chambersburg, he was active in the Underground Railroad, helping enslaved people escape to freedom. In Winters  autobiography, he claimed to have arranged the meeting between Frederick Douglass and abolitionist John Brown at the quarry in Chambersburg before the historic Harpers Ferry raid. Douglasss autobiography credits a different person, local barber Henry Watson. Winters wrote a song, Ten Days After the Battle of Gettysburg, and also used that as the title for his lost autobiography. He also wrote a campaign song for presidential candidate William Jennings Bryan, who lost to William McKinley. He was noted for hunting, fishing, and fly-tying. He engaged in oil prospecting in the Chambersburg area but his wells only hit the water. He died in 1916 and is buried in Mount Lebanon Cemetery in Chambersburg. Fire Ladder Inventions of Joseph Winters Buildings were being built taller and taller in American cities in the late 19th century. Fire crews at that time carried ladders on their horse-drawn fire engines. These were usually normal ladders, and they couldnt be too long or the engine wouldnt be able to turn corners into narrow streets or alleys. These ladders were used to evacuate residents from burning buildings as well as to give the firemen and their hoses access. Winters thought it would be smarter to have the ladder mounted on the fire engine and be articulated so it could be raised up from the wagon itself. He made this folding design for the city of Chambersburg and received a patent for it. He later patented improvements to this design. In 1882 he patented a fire escape that could be attached to buildings. He reportedly received much praise but little money for his inventions. Fire Ladder Patents US patent #203,517 Improvement in fire-escape ladders, granted on May 7, 1878.US patent #214,224 Improvement in fire-escape ladders, granted on April 8, 1879.US patent #258186 Fire escape, granted on May 16, 1882.

Relative Theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Relative Theory - Essay Example earth-bound existence) – can be regarded as tenable. This gave rise to a controversy because in classical mechanics a free fall in a non-gravitational field is known as ‘inertial motion’, i.e. there is no external force applied on the object. But gravity is a force. Therefore, classical mechanics holds the view that ‘inertial objects moving through space cannot accelerate with respect to each other’. Now we come to the crux of the problem – how to reconcile the two seemingly incompatible theoretical postulates? Einstein next proposed an alternative theory in which he argued that the space-time continuum is curved. His subsequent field equations relate the curvature of space-time to the mass, energy and the momentum within it. Hence his famous equation: Now I will come to the point in the article. So called â€Å"Grandfather paradox† is directly related to the same â€Å"traveler-homebody† paradox here. Since space-time curvature as suggested by Einstein would allow us to solve the seemingly irreconcilable twin paradox presented in this article, it might be pertinent here to examine all probabilities of the theory. According to the Grandfather paradox a time traveler who goes back in time will be able to kill his biological grandfather before the latter meets the time traveler’s grandmother so that one of his parents might not be conceived. Logically, this means that he himself might not be born. Now comes the real paradox. Since the time traveler did not go back in time, his grandfather was not killed. Therefore one of his parents was born thus enabling him or her to meet the other. Finally, the time traveler was born. The homebody finds out to his amazement that his brother is now four years younger than him. The logical sequence of events should provide an equally logical outcome. Now let’s look at what the Doppler effect has to offer us by way of an explanation. According to the Doppler effect â€Å"waves that propagate in a